Sorry, Metzy, I WAS being sarcastic. oops. I didn't take your response personally. I thought the problem was that this Principal wasn't especially doing the parent fundraiser because they needed money, I thought she just caved because she was one of those people that likes to make everyone happy and didn't think of how two fundraisers in such a short time would affect the school's PTO.

So, what was the question?? "My question is this, are Principals allowed to do a school fundraiser while having an active PTO/PTA organization? Also, how do they do taxes and account for their monies?" I would guess that the answer to this is a local one. Our elementary schools have PTA run fundraisers, Middle School and High School has band/student council/sports team fundraisers. Sounds like other posters have schools that HAVE been in charge of them.

To clear the air, seems like a sit down meeting with the Principal is in order. Not to accuse but to explain your problem and see what can be done so there aren't multiple fundraisers again. I would emphasize partnership and not the PTO against her. I know from working closely with my youngest son's Principal how hard she tries to balance the wants of the parents with what is best for the school. It's not easy.

I agree that it was stinky for the principal to let another parent run a fundraiser. I really do hope yours goes well. I only wanted to address the issue of the school running separate fundraisers with an active PTA/PTO in place. I apologize if you thought I agreed with the principal. I most certainly did not. I just thought that Kathie's "smart principal" comment needed to be addressed because it sounded rather sarcastic, when the school has every right to run a fundraiser. That is not the same as okaying one parents decision to run an odd fundraiser, especially when you had already provided the principal with the dates of the 'group' fundraiser.

Kathie, your group sounds wonderful. It is always best to have a great relationship with the principal. Our group enjoys that same relationship with our principal. I was just addressing one issue, the one of schools raising funds separate from groups. The 'smart principal' line just got my goat. It is always easier for groups that have a good relationship with their principals to work out things like who is going to run a fundraiser and where the money is going to go. Unfortunately, not all groups have the relationship with their principals that we share. It isn't that their principals aren't 'smart', just that they are having to deal with something new. And frightening. I'm sorry if you thought I was attacking you or your group. I wasn't. I swear.

Good Luck!

Do you give all the money your group makes to the school?

We run a zero-balance budget, meaning that we spend what we make. We pay for many school activites such as assemblies and transportation for field trips, so much for technology, vinyl book covers, handmade childrens books, author visits, fun nights at schools, signed books from the author visit for every fifth grader, yearbooks for every fifth grader, $100 for every classrom teacher (reimburseable.),playground equipment, parties, etc. etc.

So, yeah, all our money goes to the school but it's not a blank check - it's whatevever the PTA budgeted for each event.

Our group works because we're a small school, fairly affluent, though semi-rural, and we have a wonderful relationship between our PTA and the Principal. We have open committees and not one-person-I'm-in-charge ones. Our PTA encourages chairpeople to call every one on their sign up list and get a consensus for decisions.

I'm not saying our group is perfect, more like fortunate and smart enough to know that we've got a good thing and to keep our eyes open for new people that feel the same way. Communication cannot be over-stressed and getting a consensus when decsions are made. I understand how private schools need to fundraise constantly but public schools with parent groups work best (IMHO) when there are fewer fundraisers - there's only so much money you can get. If I ask someone to buy flower bulbs one week, I can't go back to them the next week and ask them to buy an expensive basket......

In the past, "the school" ran the yearbook sale. One parent did all the work (behind the scenes-no one had any input), the checks were made out to the school, the secretaries handled all the paperwork, and the profit was kept and spent by the principal. No one cared about where the money went - but there were issues about the quality of the book and the parents (i.e. PTO) had no input. This year, the principal somewhat reluctantly agreed to make this a "PTO project". We have an open committee anyone can join, the cost/profit will be reported in our monthly reports, the checks will be made out to the PTO, and the secretaries are free from collecting money, chasing down orders/NSFs, and distributing the books. But....the profit is still in the principal's control. We have a separate line item for yearbook profits and he can spend anything that the books earn. The PTO doesn't need to approve individual expenditures from that budget, since the agreement at the start of the year was that this was his money--we don't include the projected profit as part of our available income when we set up our annual spending plan.

I tell you all of this because maybe your principal is afraid he will lose control of the money if all fundraising goes through PTO. We have a detailed budget, but about 15% is discretionary for the principal. He can spend it any way he wants, we just do the paperwork. It's a big burden on office staff to ask them to run a fundraiser when the PTO is so well equipped to do it.

Personally, I think it's stinky that your principal allowed another parent to sponsor a concurrent fundraiser--kinda undermines the PTO--like there's dischord between the admin and the PTO. But, our school staff doesn't do any direct fundraising so my perspective is a little different.

Kathie, do you give all the money your group makes to the school?

With budget cuts in the schools like never before, schools are left with little choice but to run fundraisers aside from their parent groups.

Also, remember that parent groups don't get to run fundraisers without the school principal backing them. So I'd be just a little kinder when offering advice to 'smart principals'... with as many budgets cuts as there are going on, and if push comes to shove, the truly 'smart principal' is going to have to have school-run fundraisers, not parent group fundraisers.

Wow! In our school district only the PTA's do the fundraisers at the schools. They're such a pain to do, why would anyone fight over doing them?? We have a committee that picks them out; a wrap&candy one in the fall, a coupon book one also in the fall and then something that will bring us about $4,000 in the Spring. People only have so much money, to have them presented with two fundraisers within a few days sponsored (or so I'm sure they assume) by the same school is pretty rude if you ask me. We wouldn't do that to our parents. Perhaps you should print out this thread and forward it to that really smart Principal .....